Colin Hamiltion
Bio
Colin Hamilton's running story begins with what might be the most memorable origin tale in the sport: getting run over by a car at age 14. Missing his spine by just two millimeters, Colin broke his pelvis and spent the next six years convinced he'd never run past two miles without pain. It turns out the biggest obstacle wasn't his injury – it was his own mind. A college challenge to "just try running three miles" unlocked something Colin didn't know he had. What started as casual stress relief from his high school teaching job evolved into a full marathon obsession, though his training approach for that first race can only be described as "enthusiastically misguided." Armed with Hal Higdon's beginner plan and the brilliant strategy of running every single workout at race pace, Colin somehow survived his debut marathon – even if it was technically 0.3 miles short due to a wayward lead cyclist. Eleven marathons later, Colin has learned a thing or two about training smarter, not just harder. His journey hasn't been linear: along the way he built a brief but legendary ice cream empire during COVID, experienced panic attacks that forced him to step back and reevaluate everything, and discovered that sometimes the most important runs are the ones where you ignore your watch completely. A Dallas-area high school teacher who believes your watch tells you how fast you ran, not how fast to run, Colin has become an advocate for mental health in running and the importance of saying no to opportunities that look good on social media but feel terrible in real life. When he's not teaching teenagers or plotting his next 5K PR attempt, you'll find him trading curry recipes with best friend Philip Paris or making small-batch ice cream for fellow runners. Colin's current mission: prove that 31 isn't too old for more PRs, qualify for Boston on his own terms, and help other runners remember that the best pace is the one that lets you show up tomorrow. Philosophy: "If you're helping someone else, it's probably going to benefit you in some way too."
